ONE of the unique delicacies on offer at the Nantwich Food and Drink Festival over the weekend was a gingerbread version of the famous Chinese Terracotta army.

Now on display in the British Museum, the life-sized soldier figures crafted more than 2,000 years ago to guard the tomb of China’s first emperor were recreated in food format by The Pastry Case.

Hundreds of ginger soldiers were painstakingly ‘iced’ in full battle dress by the bakery’s artistic staff. The first 7,000 people through the festival gates received an edible gingerbread man to take home.

Festival organiser Phil Riding said: ‘The Terracotta Army has proved a major attraction in London so we thought it would be a novel thing to do create our own gingerbread army for visitors to the Nantwich Food and Drink Festival to enjoy.

‘Rather than employ security guards to protect the ginger army we thought it best if we gave away thousands of gingerbread figures to stop hungry visitors nibbling the warriors!’

Kellie Burgess of The Pastry Case added: ‘They are only three inches tall so it took staff hours to be able to paint each of the figures individually with terracotta coloured icing. It required a lot of patience but we are delighted with results.’